That would be a pretty solid score for Mayor Hancock if the Seahawks lose. Rodriguez bikes are made in Seattle, and have been since 1973.
Of course, the score will leave the Denver mayor cruising around town with a very Seahawks-themed set of wheels:
If the Seahawks win, Murray will get some skis from Denver-based Icelantic Skis and some Colorado-style green chili, which is delicious (especially from this place).
The bike route for people trying to navigate the Highway 99 construction area in Sodo and downtown has a habit of changing on a regular basis. Get ready for another big change Monday as WSDOT opens the new Atlantic Street Overpass.
You will also be able to get around a train blocking Atlantic Street by using the new overpass (sidewalks may not be ready as of Monday), which is pretty cool if you work in Sodo.
Later this winter, a new trail that goes underneath the overpass will open. Looking at the map to the right, however, I shudder to think of how dangerous this area will be when the on- and off-ramps for the Hwy 99 tunnel open. The Atlantic/Hwy 99/Colorado Ave/Frontage Rd intersection is massive and crazy.
Perhaps avoiding this mess is another argument for cancelling the tunnel. The new overpass is a good idea, and much-needed for freight movement. But I find it hard to believe the tunnel opening is going to help traffic in this area.
Cascade Bicycle Club has joined the legal battle over the Bike Master Plan update started by a handful of people upset about city plans to build a bikeway in the giant parking lot stretching between the Fremont Bridge and South Lake Union.
In legalese, the city’s Hearing Examiner has approved a motion by Cascade to “intervene” on the city’s behalf. This allows the club to assist the city attorney’s office with the legal work needed to defend the Bike Master Plan.
“The hearings examiner’s decision is an important first step toward bringing a speedy resolution to the Stakeholder Group’s lawsuit and helps the city begin full implementation of the new Bicycle Master Plan,” club Policy Manager Brock Howell said in a blog post.
Cascade is also organizing a “policy ride” on Westlake Sunday to demonstrate that there is a demand for a safe bikeway in the corridor. Councilmember Tom Rasmussen is scheduled to join. If you want to participate, meet at the Fremont PCC at 2 p.m. The ride will be followed by a happy hour at RE:PUBLIC.
Defeating the Westlake legal action is a goal of last resort. A much more positive course of action would be for the people behind the suit to withdraw from legal action and instead come back to the table to discuss Westlake plans. The people who filed this suit perhaps underestimated how many people in neighborhoods across the city have invested themselves in this master plan. Their obstruction is unpopular and not likely to help them stop plans for Westlake, which are moving ahead despite the Bike Master Plan delay.
As we have reported, the Westlake remake is already funded and is not reliant on the Bike Master Plan. Delaying the master plan was either a mistaken attempt to stop the Westlake plans or a transparent attempt to flex legal muscle. (more…)
The Verdant Health Commission plans enough funding for more than half of the red lines on this map. Image from Cascade.
Snohomish County has bits and pieces of bike infrastructure. The problem is that very few of them are connected, and using a bike to get around often requires biking in the general traffic lanes on very busy streets for at least part of your trip.
But the Verdant Health Commission is pitching in funds to connect existing bike routes in Lynnwood, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace, to the tune of nearly $2 million.
As part of their “Building Healthy Communities” initiative, the Verdant Heath Commission approved funding Wednesday for a 1.9 million dollar, three year project to complete 11 critical missing links in the Snohomish County bike network. In addition to funding 5.9 miles of route improvements, the grant will also support education, end of trip bike parking facilities and wayfinding signage.
An underground concert venue would be way cooler than a car tunnel. Source photos from WSDOT and Chris Dube
WSDOT was able to bore a little further than 1,000 feet before Bertha ground to a halt, 60 feet below downtown Seattle. That was December 6.
A month and three weeks later, the tunnel boring machine has not moved an inch. That got me thinking: Maybe this is a blessing. Since it’s pretty much certain that this project will go way over it’s $2 billion budget (that’s just the tunnel portion, not the waterfront and viaduct removal part), maybe this is a chance for us to take a step back and reassess our options. How much is this tunnel really worth to us? After all, we haven’t spent all our money yet. If we stop now, we can cut our losses.
And hey, all is not lost. We’ll have a space 54 feet wide and 1,000 feet long under downtown. That actually sounds like a totally awesome opportunity for a fantastic and perhaps even iconic urban space.
How amazing would it be to have a truly underground concert venue (see photo above)? Or how about a museum or events center? The new Seattle Underground right next door to the old one. Maybe the extra revenue from tourism draw and door prices could even pay the state back for some or all of what it has already spent on the project? (more…)
News broke Monday that the Canadian public bike maker PBSC (AKA Bixi) has declared bankruptcy. The company supplies the equipment and bikes used in most of the biggest US and Canadian bike share systems, including systems in New York City, Chicago and Washington DC.
They are also the supplier Puget Sound Bike Share was planning to use for the launch of the Seattle-based system this summer. So does this mean bike share in Seattle is in jeopardy?
“This [bankruptcy] is not necessarily a huge surprise to anybody,” said Puget Sound Bike Share Director Holly Houser. In fact, Houser said that it could help move the company forward after years of uncertainty have plagued PBSC, which has significant financial backing from the City of Montreal. We reported previously that Puget Sound Bike Share was aware of financial struggles at PBSC and were making efforts to shield itself from any impending troubles.
Houser also said that, as of now, Alta Bicycle Share (the chosen operator for the Seattle system) and PBSC (the supplier Alta contracts for bikes, docking stations and other equipment) expect to be able to deliver on planned bike share expansions scheduled this year in Vancouver, Seattle and Portland.
Houser also said that Puget Sound Bike Share has not yet signed anything obligating it to use PBSC equipment, though she is still hoping to do so.
“PBSC’s equipment is fantastic,” she said. “It’s the best out there at the moment.” (more…)
This morning, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray bet Denver Mayor Michael Hancock a Rodriguez bike (and some other stuff) that the Seahawks will win the Super Bowl.
